Three Lehigh Valley area high school students were honored today (Saturday, March 13) at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center’s Osprey House for their outstanding work on behalf of wildlife and the environment. The awards are given annually to high school students in public and private schools in Carbon, Lehigh, and Northampton Counties, and are sponsored by East Penn Bank.

The Student Ecologists were nominated by

teachers and naturalists in recognition of their work such as habitat improvement, volunteering at local parks or on local restoration projects, or demonstrating leadership in school or community environmental activities. High schools and nature centers in the three-county region receive information about the awards and have the opportunity to nominate students, and the public is notified through press releases and anyone can nominate a worthwhile candidate. Lehigh Gap Nature Center staff selects the award winners.

The 2010 Student Ecologists are:

Audrey Bowe, a senior at Emmaus High School who plans to major in Environmental Science. Audrey was nominated by her biology/environmental science teacher, Mr. Steve Baier, and by Maureen Ruhe of Wildlands Conservancy. Audrey competed in several events related to conservation during her high school years, including four years on the Emmaus High School Envirothon team, which she led to the state competition each year. She also took 1st place in ecology in both the Cedar Crest College Biology Olympics and the 2009 state Science Olympiad competition. She has also volunteered extensively for the past eight years at Wildlands Conservancy’s Pool Wildlife Sanctuary, helping care for the animals, assisting with education programs, and acting as an assistant camp counselor for the past few years. Audrey’s parents are Sonja and Donald Bowe of Emmaus.

Jessica Fegley, a Palmerton Area High School senior. Jessica was nominated by Mr. Dave Kellerman, Environmental Club advisor and biology teacher at Palmerton High. She has a long list of environmental credentials including her activity in the school Environmental Club promoting recycling and helping with community events and clean-ups and her volunteer work for the past four years in the education program at Beltzville State Park helping teach children about the importance of conservation. But her real claim of environmental stewardship rests with her gardening work. At Beltzville, she helped clean up the gardens and create a butterfly garden at the visitor center. And at the high school, Jessica developed a plan for the abandoned courtyard, raised the money, managed the funds, and led the environmental club volunteers in renovating the courtyard garden. She plans to further her education at college next year where she plans to study botany. Jessica’s parents are Cherie and Kenneth Fegley of Towamensing Township.

Zachary Weidner, a Wilson Area High School senior. Zach was nominated by his biology teacher, Ms. Jennifer Burd. He has been an active participant in Wilson High’s environmental club for the past three years and is currently taking AP Environmental Science at school. He attended the Northampton County Junior Conservation Camp last year and this year participated in Envirothon and has participated in the Cedar Crest College Biology Olympics for three years. He is active in Boy Scouts of America and has numerous merit badges in environmental topics and is working on his Eagle Scout project this spring. He has also been active in his community, Williams Township, with the recycling program, hanging Wood Duck boxes, and helping with a an Earth Day tree project. He is uncertain of which school he will attend but plans to major in biology and psychology and eventually become a medical examiner and then a special agent with one of the federal agencies such as the FBI. Zach says he will continue his environmental activists and green lifestyle no matter what his career. Zach’s parents are Mark and Patty Weidner of Williams Township, near Easton.

In the awards ceremony, Lehigh Gap Nature Center director Dan Kunkle praised the students for their interest and activism on behalf of wildlife and the environment. Each student received a certificate of merit, three conservation-related books (Sand County Almanac, Natural History of the Poconos, and Peterson’s Field Guide to Eastern Birds), and a one-year membership in the Wildlife Center. Kunkle also praised the parents and teachers of these fine young people, for their roles in the lives of these outstanding young people. The students were invited to participate in the Center’s restoration activities at the nature center, including a clean-up day in two weeks, Earth Day workshops, and other educational programs and service projects throughout the year.

Kunkle thanked the teachers who nominated the students and also thanked East Penn Bank, a division of Harleysville National Bank, for sponsoring the awards. He also noted that all of this year’s award winners began their involvement with nature at a young age, and encouraged all parents to give their kids plenty of nature experiences.

The Lehigh Gap Nature Center is a member supported, wildlife conservation organization with its office located at the Osprey House in Lehigh Gap. The Student Ecologist Awards are part of the Center’s ongoing efforts to promote conservation of wildlife and wildlife habitat through research, education, and conservation activities. For more information about the Center and its programs,contact them at 610-760-8889, lgnc@ptd.net, or check their web site at www.lgnc.org.

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